Grain and middlings separator



(No Model.)

C. RIPPIN. l GRAIN AND MIDDLINGS SBPARATOR.

NOQ 343.649.

N. Pneus, Pnawuewmphen wnhingnml n z;

`To `@Eroli/0171, it may concern:

, UNITED STATES PATENT Ori-ucla..

CHARLES RIPPIN, OF ST. LOUlS, MISSOURI.

GRAIN AND MIDDLINGS SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettere Patent No. 343,649,da.ted June 15, 1886.

Application led March 20, 1885.

Serial No. 159,602. (No model.)

Be it .known that-I, OHARLEs RHEIN, a;

citizen'of the United States, residing at St.

Louis, and State of Missouri, have made a certain new and useful Improved Grain and Mid-Y dlmgs Separator, of which the following is a specification. v

The invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, and illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel represents my improved middlings-separator in sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, showing the hopper cog-wheel and parts below the same, near the bottom of the separating-chamber. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the upper cone-shaped casing, its brushes,

screens, Src., and showing how the vertical Y shaft and the end of the conveyer-screw are ar- 'ing and its interior parts.

ranged with relation to the bottom of said cas- Fig. 4. is a plan view of the revolving wheel, having its face furrowed with radial ribs. Fig. 5 isa plan of the bottom plate of the upper cone-shaped casing, taken on line 5 5. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the centrifugal saucer, having radial corrugations. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same device. YFig. 8 is an enlarged detail or end view of the corrugations of the centrifugal saucer.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

From an upper floor the middlings to be separated are fed down a chute into the usual feed-tube, at A, at the top of the cone-shaped casing B. (See Figs. l and 3.) By taking hold of the handles and turning the lower section of the silent feed77 thefeed-passage leading between the top brush and the revolving furrowed wheel can be graduated to suit the nature of the middlings, in manner usual.

C represents the top brush. It is adjustable in a vertical direction by means of the setscrews c c', operating through the top of the casing, as shown in Figs. l and 3. The said brush can, therefore, be raised or lowered to` suit the desired brushing action for the middlings fed between said'brush and the f urrowed 5G wheel below it. Y

D is the furrowed wheel, mountedv to revolve on the main or vertical shaft E, and arranged with relation to the upper stationary brush, C, so that the middlings must pass over 5 5 the top furrowed face of jsaid wheel and the under face of the said brush, as indicated by the arrows. (See Figs. 1, 3, and 4..) The middlings fed upon the top of the revolving wheel D are caused by its radial furrows d to move 6o from the center outward to the periphery. In so doing its inclined faces or ribs d force the particles upward against the upper brush, which rubs them off and cleans and separates the ilour from the bran. By the time each particle of middlings reaches the periphery of either the brush or revolving wheel, said particles are forced often over the inclined radial faces d d', and are many times subjected to a rubbing action by the brush. The better 7o class of middlings falls downand is further acted upon by thelbrushes at the side of the screen, inside the casing, Figs. l and 3.

F represents the side brushes, mounted on .the shaft E to revolve within the cone-shaped 7 5 casing A, as shown. It is these revolving brushes that finally separate whatever bran adheres to the middlings in their downward Y course, that force the pure flour through the screen into a separate passage-way, and oth- 8o erwise complete the-rst process of separation.

`f2 represents the screen. This divides the outer passage-way, f3, from the inner passageway, f", wherethe side'brushes, F, revolve, as 8 5 shown. f

Near the bottom of the casing A a bottom plate or disk, f5, is secured, the rim f of which closes and virtually forms the bottoni of the outer passage-way, f, as shownin Figs. l and 9o 3. The openings f7, between the radial arms of this bottom disk, permit the iniddlings passingv down along the revolving brushes to drop into 'theconveyer-ehalnber. (See Figs. l, 3, and-5.) The hub f8 of this bottom disk 95 surroundsjloosely the vertical shaft E, to permit the same to 'freely revolve. (See Figs. 3

and-52);` :lt-.is the pure liour 4passing through the screen that falls down the outer passageway, f3, to the bottom disk, f6, from whence the flour can be discharged ont of the chute G. (See course of arrows in Figs. land 3.) The our so derived is ready to be rebolted, and the remaining middlings acted upon by the revolving brushes gravitate below into the conveyerchamber, from whence said middlings can be passed for a second stage of separation, as follows:

G is the conveyer-chamber, communicating at one end with the open bottom of the coneshaped casing A, the other end with the feedtube arm at G2, whence or through which the middlings gravitate into the saucer-shaped distributer H, mounted to turn on the shaft I, and all arranged within the separatingchamber J, as shown in Fig. 1.

g, the conveyerscrew, facilities the feeding ofthe gravitating middlings along the conveycr-chamber and down the feed-tube G, which controls the fall of the middlings into the saucershaped distributer.

The separating-chamber J consists of np- Vright posts j, which can be arranged and secured in circular form and covered at the sides with canvas j, inclosing the said chamber, in which the further processof separatin g the middlings takes place, as indicated in Fig. 1. The sides of the distributer H flare outwardly at an angle of about forty-five degrees,the object being to utilize centrifugal force to throw out the middlings and allow the same to gravitate to the bottom of the chamber J. (See Fig. 1.) Inside the distributer H is provided with corrugations or ribs h, consisting of sheet-metal folds, that are further bent and made to radiate from the center to the periphery in the manner shown in Figs. 1, G, 7, and 8. Itis these ribs that increase the proper spreading and distribution of each particle, and the guttershaped channel h', between each two ribs, further compels each particle to rise from the bottom of the distributer to the top thereof, and in so doing the contact of the particles against each other is avoided, each is separated from its neighbor, and each distinctly subjected tothe centrifugal action. The middlings so acted upon by centrifugal force are separated while gravitating to the bottom in two conditions: First, the pure middlings or heavier particles gravitate along the periphery of the chamber J, while the lighter stuff, dust, dw., fall nearer to the center of the bottom. It may here be said that a suction-fan, in communication with said chamber J, operales below at the same time, which specially prevents a whirl of the lighter stuff and dust accumulating around the distributer H, and by ils suction force in a downward direction keeps the falling particles separated from each other, and cach class of separated middlings falls in the two distinct places at the bottom of the chamber.

K represents this suction-fan operating, as

usual, in a proper casing, which communicates by means of the opening k with the interior of the separating-chamber, and mounted to turn with the central shaft, as indicated in Figs. l and 2. The bottom door of the chamber J has the separate spouts kc, the former for the discharge of the offal, the latter for the pure middlings. (See Figs. l and 2.)

L represents a raker-wheel, its periphery having cogs Z, and two of its radial arms carry on their under side the respective blades, arranged in opposite diagonal direction, as shown at l F l3 l in Figs. 1 and 2. When the rakerwheel is revolved, these blades rake the offal to the discharge-chute k', and the purer middlings to the discharge-chute k2. The raken wheel rotates slowly near bottom of the sepa rating-chamber, and for this purpose the cogs of the wheel mesh with a pinion, m, that rcvolves with the main vertical shaft E, asshown. The lower end of the central shaft, I, turns in a step, m', and by belting m2 connects to the pulley-wheel m3 on the main shaft, so that the power source operating the latter also revolves the former shaft and its parts. (See Fig. 1.) The conveyer-screw is operated at the same time by the bevel-gear n n', the shaft n2 of which is actuated from the main shaft by means of the gear-wheels n n, as shown.

What I claim is- 1. In a middlings-separator, the combination of the side brushes, F, the horizontal wheel D, having radial furrows and ribs d d', revolving shaft E, the cone-shaped casing B, and the screen f z, dividing the outer passageway, f 3, from the inner passage-way, j", by means whereof the falling middlings are subjected to a brushing and screening action, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a middlings-separator, the combination of the casing B, feed-tube A, the adjustable brush C, the revolving wheel D, hav ing furrows and ribs d d, the revolving side brushes, F, the screen f2, the passages f f, the bottom disk, f5, and discharge-chute G, all constructed to operate in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the conical casing B, revolving shaft E, the sub-shaft n, gear-wheels a* n4, bevel-gears n a', conveyer-screw g, and separatingchamber J, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of the chamber J, having the discharge-openings lc k2 in its floor, the rotating shaft I, the conical distributer formed with the radial ribs h and gutters 71", and the rotating wheel L, having on its spokes the blades Z Zl Z" Z, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of the cone-shaped separator, constructed substantially as described, the feed-tube and the spiral conveyer, with the chamber J, having the floor-openings 7c k2, the rotating wheel L, having the blades Z Z2 Z3 l* on its spokes, and the conical distributer H,

ISO

secured to .the shaft I, and provided with the communicating with the chamber J through 1o radial ribs h and guttersrh, substantially as the central opening in the oor thereof.

specified. Y fIn testimony of said invention I have here- 6. The combination of the chamber J, havunto set my hand. 5 ing the lateral door-openings k k2 and central CHARLES RIPPIN opening, k, the shaft I, the rotating Wheel L,

having the blades Z Z2 Z3 Z4 on its spokes, the Witnesses:

distributer H, provided with the radial ribs h WILLIAM W. HERTHEL, and gutters h', and the suction-fan K and casn g JOHN W. HERTHEL. 

